Our Sunday school class recently discussed adversity and tragedy and how we will face them in our Christian walk. It was a great class. But I got a little distracted…

The Backstory

Whenever I have faced things like a job loss, a car wreck, a health challenge – anything which we would perceive as negative, I have tried to remember Romans 8:28.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28 NASB 1995

It may be trouble resulting from my own sin. It may be trouble resulting from the sin of someone else. Or it may be a heartbreak that comes from living in a fallen world. Whatever the reason, God has promised to work ALL things for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

One example of this is the life of Joseph:

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. 

Genesis 50:20 NASB 1995

There are many more examples. Esther, David, Stephen – far too many to list here. It is sufficient to say that God has proven Himself faithful and capable in keeping this promise.

When I encounter challenges, this promise of bringing good helps me to stop asking why. Instead, I first work on repentance when that is necessary. After that I start to look for the good which God has promised He will bring from it. It gives me a positive focus as I walk forward in obedience.

I often pray that God will show me the good He is bringing from a particularly difficult situation. I understand that, in His sovereignty, God does not have to answer that – just like He does not have to answer us when we ask “Why?”. Even so, He has always shown me some of the good He has worked.

The Side Story

That leads us to the question of “What is good?” Like most things, the world’s definition of good is much different than God’s definition.

The world generally defines good as health and wealth. And sometimes the good that God brings from a situation is something of personal, temporal benefit like financial or material gain or physical health. Those are nice. I like it when He works those things, but God’s definition of ‘good’ is much greater than that.

More often, the good that God brings is something less tangible, but much more valuable, something eternal. A deeper faith or a stronger prayer life. Greater wisdom and understanding. These things reap great rewards both here on earth and in eternity.

However the verse does not necessarily promise that He will work everything exclusively for my personal good. Sometimes (often) God works things in my life for the good of others who also love Him and are called according to His purpose.

When we look for the good beyond ourselves, that is where the possibilities begin to expand. That is when God really surprises us.

I have seen material blessings being shared with brothers and sisters in need, fellow believers encouraged and strengthened in their walk, new believers being baptized into Christ, and more. God has worked amazing good from challenging circumstances. We see these good things when we look.

We praise God for His faithfulness, and we experience great joy!

The Actual Story

So, with all of that as a backdrop, when our Sunday school class read through some passages from Job a few weeks ago, I got a little distracted. This thought suddenly occurred to me:

“I bet it brings Job joy whenever we find comfort and encouragement in his story.”

And then I thought,

“How many people over, over thousands of years, have found comfort in reading Job’s story? And how much joy must he have in heaven as he sees how much good God is STILL working!”

How amazing is that!

What good have you seen God work from difficulties?